“I’m not asking you for money, and I’ll spare you the corny jokes and misadventures because, if you’re like me, you’re getting campaign emails faster than you can delete them. I need your help. We have to pass Amendment S on the ballot this fall to bring our state government up to date.”

November ballot measure

Despite the soft-sell message, Gov. Hickenlooper rarely speaks to a group without urging the passing of the measure, which was put on the ballot by the legislature and is intended to modernize the state’s personnel system. His two predecessors, Republican Bill Owens and Democrat Bill Ritter, also support the measure.

The governor — on his private e-mail, not the state’s — asked Coloradans to click here on Facebook to show their support for Amendment S.

Before Hickenlooper’s missive Monday, there were 27 “Likes” on Facebook. Now there are 543, said campaign spokesman George Merritt.

Hickenlooper as Denver’s mayor jumped out of airplane in 2005 in support for two statewide ballot measures, Referendums C and D, which suspended state spending limits, allowed the state to borrow against that money for construction. Rec C passed, but Ref D failed.

The same year, Hickenlooper donned the blue bear constume — in reference to the iconic piece of public art outside the Colorado Convention Center — to successfully urge Denver votes to increase a tourism tax.

And in an ad that attracted tons of national attention in 2010, Hickenlooper, the Democratic nominee for government, showered with various sets of clothes on, saying he wouldn’t be running negative ads because they make him feel like taking a shower.

Joey Bunch has been a reporter for 28 years, including the last 12 at The Denver Post. For various newspapers he has covered the environment, water issues, politics, civil rights, sports and the casino industry.